Lived experiences of schoolteachers in managing health emergency situations in schools: A phenomenological study

Abstract

This descriptive phenomenological qualitative study aimed to describe and understand the real-life experiences of schoolteachers when facing health emergency situations in schools. Eighteen participants were recruited through qualification-based purposive sampling and chain-referral (snowball) sampling from primary and secondary schools in Uttaradit Province, Thailand, all of whom had encountered at least one health emergency at school. Data were collected through individual semi-structured in-depth interviews, using an interview guide developed specifically for this study and validated for content validity by three experts using the Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC = 0.67–1.00), with a mean interview duration of 56.4 minutes. Data analysis followed Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological method, and trustworthiness was established using Lincoln and Guba's criteria. Five main themes emerged: (1) acute panic and confusion during the crisis; (2) instinct-driven action and accumulated personal experience; (3) the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills; (4) existing supports and gaps within the school support system; and (5) needs, obstacles, and expectations toward the healthcare system. The fundamental structure of the phenomenon revealed that teachers are positioned as first responders without adequate preparation in knowledge, skills, equipment, or institutional support, although some existing supports worth building upon were also identified, resulting in prolonged psychological impact and an urgent need for competency development through structured programs designed by emergency nursing specialists, which should incorporate initial assessment skills prior to decision-making and gender-sensitive first-aid guidelines for cross-gender student care. These findings provide a foundational evidence base for developing practice-oriented training programs that genuinely address teachers' needs, and for formulating school health safety policies in the Thai context.